New Student, New Life
by SoraOblivion62
Summary: An unusual situation from his childhood causes Freddie to move to Los Angeles and attend Hollywood Arts. How will he and Cat figure out what to do with their problems? FreddiexCat, some JadexTori as well.
1. Chapter 1- A Letter Arrives

**A/N: I received a challenge from the Challenge King for a story involving Freddie and Cat. This is my first incomplete story I'm posting so I would love feedback on the pacing and story overall. I hope you enjoy! **

Like most days before a broadcast of iCarly, Carly, Sam, and Freddie lounged around Carly's living room. Like usual, Sam was half asleep on the couch, her head in Carly's lap. Freddie sat in the chair adjacent to them, fiddling with the remote they used on the show.

"How many times have I told her to not throw the remote on the ground during 'random dancing?' Freddie asked Carly rhetorically.

The black-haired girl chuckled slightly, "You know how she gets. Can you fix it?"

"Already done," he said proudly. "I just had to realign the battery pack by removing the frame and−"

Carly raised her hand, "That's enough." Freddie rolled his eyes slightly, fully expecting to be cut off like usual when he talked technology. He didn't mind greatly but some days he felt under appreciated for his tech-savvy. A knock on the door aroused Sam and caused Freddie and Carly to look up.

"Come in!" Carly shouted.

The door swung open revealing the other member of their crew. Gibby walks in and with his two thumbs he points to himself, "Gibby!"

"Hey Gibs," Carly and Freddie said in unison.

"Hey guys. Freddie, your mom wants to see you. Says it's important."

"What does that witch want?" Sam interjected. This prompted a glare from Freddie. "Doesn't she know we have a show to do?!"

"It's fine," Freddie replied. "I'll be right back. I'm sure it's just one of her bi-hourly check-ups on me," he groaned. With that he left to his apartment directly across the hall.

"We might as well start setting up, we start in an hour," Carly said rising from the couch. The three run upstairs to the studio to prepare.

Freddie walks into the apartment he shares with his mother Marissa. He was happy he lived across the hall from Carly and Spencer since his mother was insufferable at times and he had no father to spend time with. His father had died when he was young when they still lived in Los Angeles. He didn't remember him much but he had some memories.

"Hey mom, what is it? I need to get back for iCarly." His mom just stood there smiling with her arm outstretched as he entered the living room. In her clenched fist was an envelope. "What is this?" he said inquisitively.

"Just open it!" Mrs. Benson said excitably.

Freddie scanned the envelope, specifically reading the address and the recipient. "Well it IS addressed to me… from Los Angeles?" He wasn't sure what to make of the letter… he didn't know anybody who lived there. He hadn't sent anything to California at all, let alone L.A. He tears open the envelope and takes out a letter.

"Read it aloud Freddie, I want to know what it says," his mother says happily.

He smiles, "Ok, ok." He hasn't seen his mom this excited in quite awhile. He starts to read the letter with anticipation.

"Dear Mr. Benson, we have received your application to Hollywood Arts and have reviewed it extensively." He looks up to his mother, "Hollywood Arts? The performing arts school in Los Angeles? I never sent an application."

"I did, just keep reading," his mom replied.

He clears his throat, "While it is beyond normal circumstances that we review video applications and résumés in exchange for a practical application, your skills in technology and your transcripts from Ridgeway High School has made us reconsider. We take this opportunity to formally welcome you to Hollywood Arts Performing Arts School. Please review the other documents in the envelope in order to make your transition to Hollywood Arts a successful one." Freddie stood in place for awhile, unable to comprehend what he just read. He was accepted into a school he never applied but it was a school where his talents could be appreciated.

"So?! How exciting!" his mom exclaimed happily.

"This is amazing Mom, really it is," he said with a smile. "But, what about Seattle? I mean, pretty much my whole life is here. Carly and Spencer and Sam and Gibby are all here."

"Well, there is one reason I want to move back to L.A."

Freddie raised his eyebrows, "What could that be?"

"You're going to get married!"


	2. Chapter 2- The Explanation

**A/N: Thanks everyone who reviewed the first chapter! I was happy to see the outburst of "WHATT?!" with the announcement of Freddie's impending marriage. I too think it's a great start to my story... I hope you all enjoy this next bit. Again, reviews are always welcome :). P.S. Just realized the horizontal line button available to me... it will help break up my intended scene changes and such.**

* * *

Freddie sat down, looking with a blank stare at his mom after the blanket sweep he just suffered. "Married?! You can't be serious Mom!"

His mom sits next to him, putting her hand on his arm. "You're probably too young to remember, but do you remember the church we used to attend when we lived there?"

Freddie searched his subconscious and remembered attending a couple sermons. "The Church of Unification, right? I kinda remember."

Mrs. Benson smiled, "Well, many years ago, after your father passed away, I used to be friends with this very nice couple there. They looked after us and helped with pretty much anything we could have needed." Freddie looked on in puzzlement. He was indeed too young to remember any family helping them, though his grief probably blocked a lot of things out. "We talked a lot during those days and we both agreed that an arranged marriage could be in our children's futures."

"Arranged marriage? Is that even a thing anymore?" Freddie asked.

"At the Church of Unification it is! And both you and the girl are getting to that age… it's time you started to learn more about each other."

"That's what the Internet is for!" Freddie retorted. "I can voice chat with her from here every day if I wanted to."

"Well that's not how this is working!" Mrs. Benson yelled.

Freddie knew these mood swings of hers all too well. His mind was racing from this news as he glanced down at his watch. "I'm going to be late," he said matter-of-factly. "This conversation isn't over." He walked out the door without another word and slammed the door in frustration.

* * *

Back in the studio, Carly and Sam paraded around during a skit for iCarly as Freddie recorded. His mind wasn't completely focused on the show for obvious reasons. He didn't even notice that the girls had said their sign-off and he just stood there recording them as they tried to get his attention.

Sam walked up right next to his ear. "Freddie!" she yelled as loud as she could.

"Oh, and we're clear," he said glumly. He quickly turned off the camera and went to his laptop to edit out the awkwardness for archiving purposes.

"Dude, what's your problem?" Sam asked bluntly.

"Yeah, Freddie, you were out of focus all show," Carly added.

"The camera was focused just fine, thanks," Freddie replied.

Carly looked worriedly at him, "I mean you. The sign-off was one thing but your skit with Gibby was… well, it wasn't much of anything."

Freddie frowned and realized he hadn't delivered his lines with any conviction whatsoever. It must have been difficult for Gibby to carry the brief 'dialogue' alone. He sighed and turned off his laptop. "Sorry guys but there are other things on my mind."

Sam plopped herself into a bean bag, "Like anything could be up in that head of yours."

Freddie glared at her, "Says the girl who's only happy if she's doing nothing or stuffing her face with meat!"

All three turned to him astonished… it was rare for Freddie to stand up to Sam like that since he was usually her personal punching bag. Even he was somewhat taken aback by his outburst.

Sam stood up quickly, rolling up her sleeves. "You'd better start running Benson."

"Well…" he searched for a rebuttal, "maybe I'll just quit iCarly and go all the way to L.A." Freddie said threateningly.

The three exchange glances of confusion. Carly turns her attention back to Freddie, "You're joking, right? You're not quitting."

Freddie's expression changes from anger to worry. "I… don't know." He starts packing up his laptop and coiling cables.

Carly moves toward him, her expression worried as well. "Why would you want to go to L.A.? Your life is here, iCarly is here!"

Sam, having calmed down from the insult, stands next to Carly. "Yeah, what could possibly be there?"

Upon hearing this, Freddie's gaze becomes frozen with the far wall, lacking any focus as he stares into space, "My…my… wife," he says groaning.

"What?!" all three shout in unison.

"Mmhmm," Freddie murmurs back. "My mom just informed me of this arranged marriage she set up back when we lived there. And she's insistent that we go. She's already enrolled me in a school down there; a good school where I can focus on computer technology."

Carly starts stammering as she tries to figure out what to say. "How… I… Just tell your mom you don't want to go!"

Freddie frowns, "The thing is, I think I want to go."


	3. Chapter 3- Not Happy

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews I received. Good to see such positive comments so far throughout the story. We continue where we left off and as always, reviews are appreciated :)! It is a short chapter so I'll probably post the next part Monday or Tuesday even if the views are low. **

* * *

Back in the living room, Carly, Sam, and Gibby are quiet, processing Freddie's decision to possibly leave them for L.A. Freddie is on his laptop, searching for information on Hollywood Arts.

Carly finally speaks up after a good deal of silence. "How good could that school be? I'm sure Ridgeway is much better." The others look at her unconvinced by her statement. "Ok, so Ridgeway isn't great but I don't want you to leave."

"What's the school like?" Gibby asks Freddie.

"It's a performing arts school, you know, for music, drama, dance. It's much bigger than Ridgeway by the look of it. Not to mention the weather will be nicer." Freddie continues to look through photos taken of events there. "There's a bunch of photos of students performing in their parking lot… it looks like a lot of fun."

Sam appears unimpressed though she knows the fate of iCarly rests on his decision. "Who's this girl that you're supposed to marry?"

Freddie shrugs, "I don't know, my mom hasn't told me her name."

"So why would you want to marry her?!" Carly butts in.

Freddie raises his eyebrows at her outburst, wondering why she'd assume such a thing. "I don't really want to. I'm too young to even think about marrying some girl, let alone someone I don't know," Freddie replies. "I'm more interested in the school at this point. It looks like a great chance to expand my career potential."

Carly frowns, "But what about iCarly?!"

"Well, I'll need to bring my equipment with me to Los Angeles," he says forebodingly.

Carly stands up quickly, Sam following suit. "How could you be so…SELFISH and just leave us?! Don't you even care?!" Carly yells.

Freddie shuts his laptop and jumps from his seat as well. "I'm selfish?! You're the ones who want to keep iCarly by keeping me here! I have a great opportunity to grow professionally and you're the selfish ones!" He starts to storm out of the apartment.

"Well just go then! We'll continue iCarly without you!" Carly folds her arms in anger as Freddie slams the door. Sam and Gibby just look at Carly as she retreats to her room, still fuming.

Outside the apartment, Freddie rests his back against the door he just shut, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. _"I can't believe the gall of those two," _he thinks to himself. Freddie then walks into his own apartment and sets his laptop and camera on the couch when he sees his mom sitting on a chair in the living room. She has a smile on her face, having heard the argument between him and Carly. "What was all the yelling about?" she asks smugly.

Freddie, still sour from Carly's attitude, finally smiles. "We're going to California."


	4. Chapter 4- Trying to Make Things Right

**A/N: As promised, here is the 4th chapter of my story! First, thanks for the reviews that I received. I appreciated the fact that everyone liked the shorter chapter since it helped move the story along. I'm happy with how this chapter turned out and will be a longer read ;).**

* * *

Freddie awoke the next morning after his spontaneous decision that he wanted to move. His mind continued to decipher whether he really wanted to go, but the more he thought about it, the more he was reminded of Carly's words. Reminiscing only made his heart race as he envisioned the fury and sadness in her face. Come to think of it, Sam hadn't said much about his decision. But if the usually sweet and kind Carly reacted that way, Sam would probably be no better. He rises from his bed and gets dressed, not looking forward to returning to the Shay's apartment to gather his equipment.

* * *

Freddie knocks on the door and is greeted by Carly; her expression changes from a smile to a frown instantly upon seeing him.

"Hey, Carls, I'm here to get my−" Before he can finish his sentence, the door is slammed in his face. He frowns and looks at the ground, fully expecting a reaction like that. He knocks again but is greeted by the elder Shay, her brother Spencer.

"Hey, Freddie, sorry about Carly," he says apologetically.

"Not your fault… can I come in?"

He stands to the side and allows him entrance. This prompts Carly to rise from her seat on the couch and run upstairs. The slam of her bedroom door shakes the house as the two men take a deep breath simultaneously.

"I don't think she's happy with your decision," Spencer says sarcastically.

"So she told you?"

Spencer looks in the direction of Carly's room before turning his attention back to Freddie. "It's all she talked about this morning," he replies.

"Of course. She just wants me to stay here so I can continue working on iCarly." Freddie crosses his arms as he starts walking to the elevator inside the apartment.

Spencer takes a step forward with him. "Come on Freddie, you know it's more than that. It's not just iCarly she's afraid of losing."

This causes Freddie to turn around and look inquisitively at him. "What do you mean?"

Spencer looks in surprise, "You guys are best friends! And you're moving away! How else did you think she'd react?"

Freddie thinks back on the previous day's conversations… everything had been about the show; it didn't cross his mind about their friendship and that made his stomach hurt. "Wow, do I feel like a nub." Spencer nods slightly in agreement, eliciting a small smile from the L.A. bound boy, in spite of himself. "So do you think I should stay here?"

"I think you have a great opportunity there, it would be kind of dumb to not take a chance. But you should at least talk to Carly. Try to talk things out. iCarly is important but you mean a lot more to her than your little web show."

Freddie was always surprised to hear this side of the usually-whimsical Spencer. His moments of adult clarity were always a sight to see. "Thanks, Spencer." Freddie smiles and walks up the stairs to talk to his friend.

* * *

Upstairs, Carly is sitting in front of her mirror in her room, absent-mindedly brushing her hair when the door to the room opens. In the reflection she sees Freddie walk in, causing her to turn around to face him.

"Shouldn't you be packing for your trip?" she says not angrily but with a hint of sadness.

"I would but my mom is driving me crazy," he says smiling with a light chuckle, trying to break the tension. It doesn't change her mood so he just returns his focus to why he's there. "Listen, Carly, I owe you an apology."

This causes Carly to raise her eyebrows and cross her arms in front of her expectantly. "For?"

"For thinking your anger was only about me leaving iCarly when I know it's about more than that. You're worried about losing me as a friend too." Even though Spencer had just told him the same thing a few minutes earlier, saying those words himself causes his stomach to turn and his eyes to water. He wipes his eye to appear strong as he continues. "I know it's hard but I really think this new school is much better for me in the long run."

Carly shrugs, "It just seems so sudden… we've been friends for years and now, just two years away from graduating, you're packing up and leaving for a new school. Not to mention this girl you're supposedly engaged to… knowing your mom I'm worried about who she's picked." She actually smiles as this causes Freddie to grimace.

Freddie moves closer to Carly before speaking again, "Right now I don't care about that girl and I'll probably end up trying to get out of it. But I can't see myself in Seattle anymore where my career won't get anywhere." He raises his finger, "I'll miss all of you of course, but not Seattle."

Carly nods sadly before walking up and embracing Freddie, burying her face in his arm. Freddie reciprocates the hug and kisses her on the top of her head.

"I won't try to convince you to stay but at least keep in touch about everything," Carly says quietly.

Freddie smiles, "Of course I will. I always like to hear what things Spencer sets on fire every week." This causes Carly to giggle and shed a tear.

Sam appears at the door, seeing the two of them still hugging. "Ahem!" she coughs loudly. The two friends break the hug and turn to face her. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything," she says coolly as she seats herself on Carly's bed.

Carly walks over and joins her, "No, Freddie and I were just talking about him leaving."

Freddie steps forward and looks at Sam, "Yeah, I'm sorry about leaving but−"

Sam raises her hand to him, "Uh uh, save it Fredward." Freddie looks on confusedly. "If you were able to make things right with Carly, I'll be ok with you leaving too."

Freddie smiles, "Well, thanks Sam. But why are you so okay with it?"

Sam looks at her best friend sitting next to her, "I haven't seen Carly that mad since I sold that special shirt she made me for Cuttlefish tickets. If she's cool, I'm sure it's cool with me too." The three of them smile as Freddie walks to the bedroom door.

"So would you guys wanna help me move my stuff downstairs?"

"Nope," Sam says simply and flops down on Carly's bed. Carly shrugs as she assumes Sam spoke on her behalf as well.

Freddie smiles, "There's the old Sam." He heads to the studio to gather his tech, elated that he was able to work things out.


	5. Chapter 5- Friends Band Together

**A/N: As always, thanks for the few reviews I received. Fanfic-Reader-88 had asked why they waited until Freddie was almost gone to bring up how that would affect their friendship. It was definitely a valid point and something I should have addressed in the previous chapter during their argument. However, I contested that it showed that Freddie ended up being just as stubborn during the argument. In any case, it doesn't change his decision to go to L.A. to see how things work out there. I just wanted to address that but I like being critiqued. Please keep the reviews coming :).**

**This next chapter moves to sunny California to see what's going on that side of the coast. I wrote this chapter assuming these events were happening concurrently with Freddie and company's occurrences. **

* * *

Cat walks into Mr. Sikowitz's class, her gaze downcast as she finds the chair she usually sits in. Immediately she buries her nose in a book, trying to hide herself as the other students enter. Among them are all her friends; Beck and André followed closely behind by Robbie with Rex in hand; finally Tori and Jade enter and everyone takes their seats.

André looks at Cat quizzically and smiles, "Hey, little Red."

She raises her hand in greeting before returning it to the book.

André raises his eyebrows, "Ummm, what are you reading… and why is it upside-down?"

Everyone glances towards Cat, also noticing the book's position. Cat just drops the book and confesses, "It's nothing, nothing's wrong!"

The friends all glance at each other. No one had prompted a reply like that. Tori moves closer to her, putting her hand on Cat's upper arm. "What's going on, Cat? It seems like something is bothering you," she asks in her usual sweet tone.

Cat's mouth opens and closes wordlessly as her problems, and tears, threaten to spew forth from her body. Before anything can be said, the bell rings and Mr. Sikowitz enters.

"Hello, young children!" he says before tossing his satchel to the side of the stage. "Today we're going to try a little skit that you've probably all seen in those sappy romantic comedies you adore so much," he says with a hint of ire. "Why don't we have Clint," he points to a darker-skinned boy in the back of the class, "and Cat join me on the stage." The boy walks up while Cat unsteadily rises from her chair and stands to Sikowitz's right.

"What's the scene?" Cat asks shyly.

"I'm glad you asked," Sikowitz says clapping his hands together. "Like most bad romantic comedies, the soon-to-be wife gets cold feet, she RUNS OFF, leaving the husband dejected and alone. Now that your objectives are clear, I will start you off." He clears his throat, "Clint, will you take Cat to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do."

"And do you Cat, take Clint−"

"I can't do this!" Cat screams, running off the stage and grabbing her backpack as she bolts out of the classroom.

The students smile and clap and Sikowitz smiles as well. "Wow! Now that was something, wasn't it class? Could you feel the fear, the turmoil in her voice?" He applauds loudly before sending Clint back to his seat. "Ok, Cat, you can come back now!" he yells out to the hall.

Everyone turns around and awaits her reappearance, but seconds pass without a sign of her.

Sikowitz chuckles lightly, "She's really committed to the bit, huh?!"

The class continues and eventually ends with no sign of Cat, drawing worried looks from her friends as they wonder what happened to her.

* * *

Tori and crew walk through the halls between classes, searching for their lost red-haired friend. Robbie walks up to the janitor's closet and spies the girl sitting in the corner. He beckons his friends before opening the door to let everyone in. It's a tight fit in the small closet but they want to prevent Cat from running to find out what happened in class.

Cat looks up at everyone while stroking a strand of hair obsessively. "Hiiii," she says sadly before returning to her hair.

Everyone looks at her worriedly before Tori speaks up. "What happened in there, Cat? Why didn't you come back to class?"

"Yeah and before class you were acting strange too," Jade adds before shrugging, "Strange for you at least."

Cat stands up still frowning and takes a deep breath. "My parents told me something awful last night and I'm not sure what to do about it."

Robbie smiles, "Well tell us… I'm sure we can all help you somehow." Everyone starts agreeing, acting positive and trying to cheer Cat up.

Cat shakes her head, tears welling in her eyes before she blurts out, "My parents told me I'm getting married!" She starts crying and instinctively hugs Robbie as her friends exchange looks of utter disbelief.

"M-m-married?!" Tori exclaims.

Beck puts a hand on Cat's shoulder, "Are you sure, Cat? I mean, you're not even dating anyone right now."

Cat reveals her face again before speaking, "My parents told me they set it up a long time ago through our church."

"Like an arranged marriage or something?" André asks. Cat nods silently in clarification.

Jade takes Cat by her arms and looks into her eyes, "Just tell your parents you can't, it's simple Cat."

"I tried! But they wouldn't listen… they said they've already talked to the boy's mom and she's going to tell him too."

Everyone looks at one another, unsure of how to proceed or even how to help Cat feel better.

"Well, for now why don't you talk to Lane about it? Maybe he can help you figure things out," Tori says sympathetically.

Jade and Robbie lead the scared Cat to the guidance counselor's office while the rest of them follow closely behind.

* * *

Cat is seated inside Lane's office along with the rest of the crew. They had all just taken turns explaining the situation as Lane reacted appropriately to each detail. He was not surprised at the notion of an arranged marriage; he knew of the Church of Unification and their unusual customs. He applied some lotion to his hands and rubbed them together after the kids finished the story.

Tori spoke up first after a little silence. "So? Is there anything she can do to get out of this?"

Lane put his hand under his chin in contemplation, "The only way I know to get out of the marriage is for the parents or guardians of both children to sign an agreement to cancel the commitment." The kids perk up at this announcement. "That's still tricky because even if both you and the boy don't want to get married, the adults still have full control of that."

Beck speaks up, "That's ludicrous. So Cat is basically resigned to a marriage she wants no part in?!"

Lane nods glumly, "Unless you can all convince both parties to cancel the arrangement, I don't know what else to tell you," he concedes.

The kids take turns thanking him before leaving his office, still without a solid answer. While walking towards the doors to leave the school, Robbie puts an arm around Cat and whispers to her, "It will be okay, Cat. We'll think of something."

Jade adds, "For now, try to keep it out of your mind. When this boy arrives and we find out who he is, we'll all go together and convince her to call it off."

Cat smiles at the suggestion, "Thanks guys… I guess for now I'll just keep telling my parents I don't want to get married."

Tori agrees, "That's a good idea, Cat. If you keep bringing that up, maybe they'll realize it's a bad idea!"

Everyone murmurs in agreement before saying their goodbyes and entering their respective cars. Just a few minutes prior they thought all was lost, but now they had a new goal to brighten Cat's spirits.


	6. Chapter 6- Moving In

**A/N: As promised, here is the 4th chapter of my story! First, thanks for the reviews that I received. I appreciated the fact that everyone liked the shorter chapter since it helped move the story along. I'm happy with how this chapter turned out and will be a longer read ;).**

* * *

Freddie awoke the next morning after his spontaneous decision that he wanted to move. His mind continued to decipher whether he really wanted to go, but the more he thought about it, the more he was reminded of Carly's words. Reminiscing only made his heart race as he envisioned the fury and sadness in her face. Come to think of it, Sam hadn't said much about his decision. But if the usually sweet and kind Carly reacted that way, Sam would probably be no better. He rises from his bed and gets dressed, not looking forward to returning to the Shay's apartment to gather his equipment.

* * *

Freddie knocks on the door and is greeted by Carly; her expression changes from a smile to a frown instantly upon seeing him.

"Hey, Carls, I'm here to get my−" Before he can finish his sentence, the door is slammed in his face. He frowns and looks at the ground, fully expecting a reaction like that. He knocks again but is greeted by the elder Shay, her brother Spencer.

"Hey, Freddie, sorry about Carly," he says apologetically.

"Not your fault… can I come in?"

He stands to the side and allows him entrance. This prompts Carly to rise from her seat on the couch and run upstairs. The slam of her bedroom door shakes the house as the two men take a deep breath simultaneously.

"I don't think she's happy with your decision," Spencer says sarcastically.

"So she told you?"

Spencer looks in the direction of Carly's room before turning his attention back to Freddie. "It's all she talked about this morning," he replies.

"Of course. She just wants me to stay here so I can continue working on iCarly." Freddie crosses his arms as he starts walking to the elevator inside the apartment.

Spencer takes a step forward with him. "Come on Freddie, you know it's more than that. It's not just iCarly she's afraid of losing."

This causes Freddie to turn around and look inquisitively at him. "What do you mean?"

Spencer looks in surprise, "You guys are best friends! And you're moving away! How else did you think she'd react?"

Freddie thinks back on the previous day's conversations… everything had been about the show; it didn't cross his mind about their friendship and that made his stomach hurt. "Wow, do I feel like a nub." Spencer nods slightly in agreement, eliciting a small smile from the L.A. bound boy, in spite of himself. "So do you think I should stay here?"

"I think you have a great opportunity there, it would be kind of dumb to not take a chance. But you should at least talk to Carly. Try to talk things out. iCarly is important but you mean a lot more to her than your little web show."

Freddie was always surprised to hear this side of the usually-whimsical Spencer. His moments of adult clarity were always a sight to see. "Thanks, Spencer." Freddie smiles and walks up the stairs to talk to his friend.

* * *

Upstairs, Carly is sitting in front of her mirror in her room, absent-mindedly brushing her hair when the door to the room opens. In the reflection she sees Freddie walk in, causing her to turn around to face him.

"Shouldn't you be packing for your trip?" she says not angrily but with a hint of sadness.

"I would but my mom is driving me crazy," he says smiling with a light chuckle, trying to break the tension. It doesn't change her mood so he just returns his focus to why he's there. "Listen, Carly, I owe you an apology."

This causes Carly to raise her eyebrows and cross her arms in front of her expectantly. "For?"

"For thinking your anger was only about me leaving iCarly when I know it's about more than that. You're worried about losing me as a friend too." Even though Spencer had just told him the same thing a few minutes earlier, saying those words himself causes his stomach to turn and his eyes to water. He wipes his eye to appear strong as he continues. "I know it's hard but I really think this new school is much better for me in the long run."

Carly shrugs, "It just seems so sudden… we've been friends for years and now, just two years away from graduating, you're packing up and leaving for a new school. Not to mention this girl you're supposedly engaged to… knowing your mom I'm worried about who she's picked." She actually smiles as this causes Freddie to grimace.

Freddie moves closer to Carly before speaking again, "Right now I don't care about that girl and I'll probably end up trying to get out of it. But I can't see myself in Seattle anymore where my career won't get anywhere." He raises his finger, "I'll miss all of you of course, but not Seattle."

Carly nods sadly before walking up and embracing Freddie, burying her face in his arm. Freddie reciprocates the hug and kisses her on the top of her head.

"I won't try to convince you to stay but at least keep in touch about everything," Carly says quietly.

Freddie smiles, "Of course I will. I always like to hear what things Spencer sets on fire every week." This causes Carly to giggle and shed a tear.

Sam appears at the door, seeing the two of them still hugging. "Ahem!" she coughs loudly. The two friends break the hug and turn to face her. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything," she says coolly as she seats herself on Carly's bed.

Carly walks over and joins her, "No, Freddie and I were just talking about him leaving."

Freddie steps forward and looks at Sam, "Yeah, I'm sorry about leaving but−"

Sam raises her hand to him, "Uh uh, save it Fredward." Freddie looks on confusedly. "If you were able to make things right with Carly, I'll be ok with you leaving too."

Freddie smiles, "Well, thanks Sam. But why are you so okay with it?"

Sam looks at her best friend sitting next to her, "I haven't seen Carly that mad since I sold that special shirt she made me for Cuttlefish tickets. If she's cool, I'm sure it's cool with me too." The three of them smile as Freddie walks to the bedroom door.

"So would you guys wanna help me move my stuff downstairs?"

"Nope," Sam says simply and flops down on Carly's bed. Carly shrugs as she assumes Sam spoke on her behalf as well.

Freddie smiles, "There's the old Sam." He heads to the studio to gather his tech, elated that he was able to work things out.


	7. Chapter 7- Hollywood Arts, Morning One

**A/N: Here is another chapter! As always, thanks for the reviews, and the new follower/favorite I received from Psychopath with nails. That brings my story followers up to 3 and my story's favorites to 4! I'd feel bad if I didn't mention the other followers (ArtisticAngel6 and Kathryn Claire O'Connor) and favorites (Animanga-smile14, Challenge King, and Fanfic-Reader-88). So yeah, thanks everyone!**

**We're getting into the meat of the story as Freddie arrives at Hollywood Arts on his first day.**

* * *

As his mother suggested, Freddie got to the school early to go see the principal. As he sits in the office, he notices the name plate on the principal's desk simply says "Helen" with no last name. Freddie raises an eyebrow confusedly as the door opens behind him. He turns around to watch a shorter, dark-skinned woman enter and walk around to her chair.

"Hello there Mr. Benson," she says smiling. She takes a seat and opens a file on her desk. "I was expecting you but not this early," she states before taking a swig of hot coffee.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I just wanted to get my class schedule," Freddie says sincerely.

Helen shakes an open hand back and forth dismissively, "Oh, it's no problem!" she replies happily. "It's so exciting to have a member of iCarly here at Hollywood Arts," she says, gushing a little.

Freddie smiles, "Oh, you watch iCarly?"

"Every week! Oh, it's probably one of my favorite things on the Internet." Freddie blushes a little and smiles. "Anyway, here's your class schedule," she states handing it to him. "You'll find we placed you in all the appropriate classes determined by your transcripts from Ridgeway. Some of them, unfortunately, are introductory level courses but if you do well enough, testing out is an option." She returns to drinking her coffee as Freddie scans the schedule.

"Yeah, this looks great. I feel like I won't have much trouble. Where is…" he looks back at the list of classes, "Introductory Stage Lighting? It says 'BBT'."

Helen smiles, "That's the Blackbox Theater. It's on the first floor past the Dance Studio. You can always ask some students to direct you there."

Freddie gets up and stashes the schedule in his back pocket. "Thank you, Principal Helen," he says awkwardly.

"Just Helen is fine," she says waving him out.

Freddie smirks and nods his head as he exits the office.

* * *

Cat, Tori, and Jade walk in through the front door of the school. They enter the main hall where the hallways of the school branch out like rivers from a sea; the main staircase is already occupied by some students going to classes and some students sitting on the steps just gossiping before first period. The three girls move to Jade's locker which is located to the right of the main door.

"So any luck with your parents?" Tori asks Cat, genuinely concerned.

The red-headed girl frowns and shakes her head. "I didn't even see them yesterday. They were at some conference for my dad's job."

Jade opens her locker and takes some books out. "That's too bad. Hopefully you'll see them tonight." Tori smiles in agreement

Cat smiles as she tries to put on a brave face even though she's still worried on the inside. "Yeah, I'm sure I'll see them. Well, I'm going to go to class. See you there!" Cat waves goodbye before giving a small smile. She then turns around and heads to Mr. Sikowitz's class.

Tori frowns a little as she watches Cat go. "Poor thing. She must be so scared." She puts her back against the lockers next to Jade's and crosses her arms as her friend grabs some more items from her locker.

"I know, I'm worried for her too," Jade agrees. "But until we meet this boy it's not going to be healthy to dwell on it too much."

Tori nods, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

The black-haired girl closes her locker. "Besides, if you're thinking too much about Cat," she grabs Tori's chin and pushes it up so she looks into her eyes, "you won't be thinking about me."

Tori smiles, "Well, that's impossible." She leans forward and gives Jade a passionate kiss, one Jade happily returns. Tori separates slightly, "Maybe tonight we can hang out at my place and not study." She giggles at her notion of procrastination before kissing Jade again.

Just as they finish kissing, Freddie approaches them, just having exited his meeting with Helen. "Uh, sorry to interrupt," he says, blushing a little having seen the display, "but I don't know how to get to the Blackbox theater."

The girls separate from each other as Tori looks over to the new boy. She suddenly becomes excited. "Oh my god, you're Freddie from iCarly!"

Freddie smiles, "That's me!" he answers, being used to this type of reaction even in his hometown Seattle.

Tori recovers from her initial surprise, "Why are you even here?!"

"Well, actually, I go here now." Freddie chuckles.

"You go to Hollywood Arts? But why? And what about iCarly?"

Freddie shifts his backpack, "It's kind of a long story and I don't want to be late for my very first class," he chuckles.

Tori shakes her head and regains her focus. "Right!" She points down a hallway near Jade's locker. "You just go down this hallway here, take a right, and you'll see the signs."

Freddie puts his schedule away. "Great, thanks, uhh…" he points to her expectedly.

"Tori," she smiles again. "And this is Jade." Jade just raises her hand in salutation, clearly not as excited as Tori to see this new face.

"Tori," Freddie repeats. "Maybe I'll see you around." With that he takes off down the hallway to his first class.

Jade rolls her eyes, "We're going to be late too. Let's go." The two girls head to Mr. Sikowitz's class, unknowingly having met the boy at the heart of Cat's problem.

* * *

**A/N: So as you noticed, I tried to tie in segments for different characters instead of breaking up chapters for everyone. I hope it turned out easy to follow, or at the very least easy to comprehend. If it's too jarring I'd love to hear suggestions of another way to do it. If it's fine, let me know too! Reviews/constructive criticism are appreciated :).**


	8. Chapter 8- Lunch Time

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks for the reviews I received... it seems people thought my transitions between characters were well done so I'm happy to hear that. I also had a question about the sudden appearance of "Jori" in my story. It was part of the challenge that Challenge King give me so I wanted it to be a surprise... I tend to throw those into my writing a lot. **

**I received two more followers since last update (Challenge King and cornholio4) so thank you both! As always, reviews are welcome... I'm glad so many people are enjoying this story... It's a little different for me but I'm enjoying every bit of it!**

* * *

The kids make it through Mr. Sikowitz's class without any major problems like what happened with Cat the previous day. The friends all gather together as they leave the room and head towards the Blackbox Theater for another class they all take together.

"So you guys are never going to guess who Jade and I ran into this morning before class," Tori brags excitedly. No one says anything, taking her words quite literally. "Freddie Benson from iCarly!"

The friends murmur in surprise at Tori's proclamation. Cat meanwhile jumps up and down and claps happily. "Oh my god, I love iCarly!"

"Me too!" Robbie adds. "Especially 'random dancing'!" Robbie shouts the words like the web show's disembodied voice and thrashes around for a couple seconds. Rex, attached to Robbie's hand, groans.

"What's the matter with you? I was trying to take a nap."

Beck rolls his eyes before turning back to Tori. "Why is he here?"

Tori shrugs, "All he told us was that he goes here now. Said it was a long story."

Cat pipes in again, "That's so awesome!" She thinks for a second. "But wait, what about iCarly?"

Jade jumps in before Tori can talk again. "Like we said, he didn't explain."

"We should invite him to hang out with us at lunch! I'm sure he'd like to meet some new faces… it must be hard to be at a new school and not know anybody." The way she says it hints at her first few days at Hollywood Arts. The friends agree and they make it to their class.

"But how are we gonna invite him when we don't know where he'll be?" André questions Tori.

"I'm sure it won't be too hard. I mean he's somewhat famous… we'll just see if a bunch of people are gathered around an area and see if he's in the middle of the crowd," Tori plans.

* * *

The bell rings for lunch and Freddie exits his American Literature class with a handful of books in his arms. Despite having mostly tech courses, he had to have some general education classes as well, which he didn't mind. It helped break up all his lighting and camera classes and provided a more well-rounded education. Freddie has found during the day how long it takes to get in between classes; not just because of the distance but because many students stop him in the hallway to talk to him. He had to admit he wasn't used to this much attention. At Ridgeway he was well-known but classmates weren't fawning over his attention or anything like that. Freddie makes it to his locker when he's once again swarmed by students. He fields numerous questions half-heartedly as he grabs his bag lunch and pushes through the mob. Upon reaching the end of the crowd, he bumps into André and Beck, who were standing at the back assuming he was indeed the cause of the commotion.

Beck puts his hand softly on Freddie's shoulder, "Hey, we're Tori's and Jade's friends. If you want to get away from this crowd, come with us."

Freddie easily remembers the name, as most of the other kids didn't want to talk so much as gush about iCarly. She _did_ help him earlier as well. "Yeah, let's do it," he says exhaustedly.

André faces the mob, allowing Beck to start Freddie towards the gang's usual lunch table outside. "Alright ya'll, that's enough for now. Why don't you all give Freddie a break and go back to your own lives?" André states casually. His words have the effect of causing the students to groan sadly but they disperse slowly.

* * *

The three boys arrive at the lunch table at the Asphalt Café, the students' outdoor cafeteria. The rest of the group, minus a certain red-haired girl, is already sitting down enjoying their lunch when they sit down. Freddie takes a seat in between Tori and André and everyone says hello as Freddie unpacks his lunch.

"Hi everyone. Thanks a lot for getting me away from them," he says directly to Beck and André. "I guess iCarly really is that popular," he says laughing a little.

Tori smiles, "Well, of course! But don't worry; we're not going to ask you anything about iCarly or why you came to Los Angeles right now."

Freddie smiles back, "I appreciate it… that's all I've been doing today. So I know Tori and Jade but what about the rest of you?"

Beck and André respond in turn with their names, shaking Freddie's hand as he extends it.

Robbie sits up a little, Rex still in hand. "Hey, I'm Robbie and this is Rex. It's great to meet you!"

Freddie smiles, "Yeah, same to you. So I'm guessing you're a ventriloquist?"

Rex butts in, "Mhmmm, except Robbie is the real dummy in this act." Robbie looks downtrodden as the others have a chuckle at his expense.

Freddie laughs politely as well, thinking it is part of an act. "Wow, that's really good. I bet Carly and Sam would love to show something like that on iCarly." This causes Robbie to grin ear-to-ear and bounce in his seat like a child.

Cat jogs up from behind Robbie when she sees Freddie sitting down. "Hiiii! Oh my goodness, I can't believe you're actually here," she says excitedly.

Jade puts a hand on Cat's arm, "Settle down, Cat. We promised Freddie here we wouldn't gush over him."

The mention of her name startles Freddie. "Wait, what did you say her name was?"

Tori smiles, "This is our friend Cat. I know, a lot of people think the name is odd."

Freddie looks at the red-haired girl as she sits down. Her dark red hair was instantly noticeable of course, but he also sees how pretty she is. Freddie notices that while Cat is still looking down at her lunch, she glances up at him and smiles before turning her eyes back down to the table; he can feel his face become warm as he smiles back. _This has to be the girl_, he thinks to himself. _The name is too unique._ Freddie hears his name being called to beckon him back to reality. "What was that?" he says instinctively.

Robbie looks at him, "I asked do you think Cat's name is odd?"

Freddie smiles, "Not at all… it's a very unique name." He sees Cat smile after he subtly compliments her.

Jade turns to Cat, "So how did things with Lane go?"

Cat shrugs, "Ok, I guess. Since he can't do anything with the real problem he just gives me advice on things to do or think about to take my mind off it. It helps at times," she smiles.

Freddie wonders if the situation she's speaking of is about him. He puts down his sandwich, "Who's Lane?"

"He's the guidance counselor here," Beck answers.

Freddie nods, "Well, I'm sure it's none of my business−"

"You're probably right," Jade interjects with a sly smile.

Tori bumps her in the arm with her elbow. "Be nice," she says sternly. Jade just goes back to her food. "Go ahead Freddie."

"What problem is he helping you with?" he asks politely.

Cat's friends look to her, wondering if she's comfortable explaining things to the new face at the table. "Oh, you know, girl problems," she replies.

Freddie just nods and continues eating. He isn't sure if she's telling the truth or not but he figures it's best not to pry. The group finish their meals while talking about Freddie's first half of the day. The first bell rings signaling the end of lunch and they all get up to head to classes. Tori stops Freddie before he leaves.

"So I hope you didn't mind eating lunch with us," she says nervously. "I know how hard it can be to start a new school."

Freddie adjusts his backpack and grins. "No, it was great! Thanks for inviting me. It'd be great to keep hanging out with you guys."

Tori smiles, "Yeah, that would be great!" The two exchange numbers so they can keep in touch. "See ya!" she says before departing.

Freddie waves and heads to his next class, happy he met some new friends on his first day. Also, now that he knows who Cat is, he'll be able to get to know her better in case the worst case scenario of marriage actually occurs.


	9. Chapter 9- Video Chats

**A/N: ****Hey everyone! Special announcement: In between chapters 8 and 9, my story has hit 1100+ viewers! Pretty awesome milestone :). Another thing: a new follower/favorite from Ethanskittels! The reviews I received all wondered about Cat's reaction to why Freddie is there so we'll find out in this chapter. Keep the views and reviews coming!**

* * *

Cat walks into her home after her day at school, having met Freddie and having an overall good day. She sets her backpack down on her bed as she sits down next to it, pulling out her laptop and turning it on. As she waits for it to boot up, she imagines the conversation she wants to have with her parents when they get home. As distressed as she felt about the whole situation, she wishes she had a name to go with this mystery boy, if only to potentially look them up online and learn something about them. The laptop starts up and she logs onto her Slap profile to browse. Suddenly, an alert comes on her screen from Jade requesting to video chat. She smiles and accepts.

"Hiiii," Cat says and waves to the camera.

"Hey Cat," Jade responds. "How's it going?"

"Fine, I just got home actually," she says before pulling out a book of Shakespeare plays from her backpack. "About to read the assignment from Mr. White's class," she shows the book to Jade.

Jade groans, "Ughh, he is still having every class go over _Romeo and Juliet_? Everyone knows that story! At least they both die at the end," she concedes bluntly.

"Yeah, he is," Cat replies. "It's almost too weird that I'm reading this with everything that is going on."

"Except you don't know this boy and you don't want to elope with him."

Cat giggles, "Seriously!" She takes a deep breath. "As soon as my parents get home I'm going to ask for his name."

"Good for you, Cat," Jade answers sincerely. "That way we can try to find him and go through with our plan."

Cat nods and hears the front door of the house open. "That's them, I gotta go!" she says quickly before waving goodbye and disconnecting the chat. She runs into her living room to see her father sitting on the couch and her mom pouring some water for the two of them. "Hiii," Cat says, skipping up to her mom and giving a hug.

Her mom, a short woman only a few inches taller than her daughter with strawberry blonde hair, hugs her back and smiles. "Hi honey! How are you?"

"I'm okay," she answers as she hops to her father, hugging him from behind the couch. Her father, contrary to Cat's mother, is a towering man with gray hair. He kisses her on the cheek, "Hey baby."

Cat takes a breath and stands to the side of the couch where both her parents now sit. "I need to ask you guys something," she says shyly.

Her parents exchange a glance before Cat's dad turns off the television. "What is it, Cat?" her father asks.

"I know you guys want this arranged marriage thing to happen…" the adults nod slightly. "So I want to know the boy's name."

Her mom smiles, "Of course you can know his name! In fact, I just talked to his mom yesterday and she told me they moved in Sunday. Maybe we can set up a date!" she says excitedly.

Cat tilts her head to the side with a confused look on her face. "Wait, I thought you said they were from Los Angeles."

"Well, they were originally when we set this up but they moved from Seattle to make this work," her dad replies.

Cat's eyes widen, "Seattle?" She already has an idea of who the boy is when she faintly hears her mom say the name "Fredward Benson". Her usually confused mind puts the pieces together and she realizes why Freddie was enrolled in Hollywood Arts.

Her parents look at each other as Cat stands there silently, her mouth slightly agape. "Cat? Is something wrong?" her mom asks worriedly.

Cat shakes her head, "No," she says hastily before running to her room. She shuts the door and throws herself on the bed, hurriedly searching to see if a friend is online. _Jade is still on_, she says to herself and sends a request.

"Hey Cat, back so soon?" Jade asks.

"Jade, it's Freddie!" Cat shouts, her tone of voice not excited but surprised. Jade's eyes widen as she knows the meaning behind the outburst.

* * *

Freddie arrives at his new apartment after school, thankful he lives so close to Hollywood Arts since he doesn't have a car yet. He sets his backpack down and reminisces about his day: he didn't get lost, too much at least; he actually knew as much or more than most of the kids in his technical classes; and best of all, he actually met some cool people he hoped would become good friends with. He also thought about Cat, how surprised he was that the girl he is set up with could be so pretty. Freddie decides to pull out his laptop and see if Carly and Sam are online. He hasn't talked to them since he left Seattle so it'd be nice to let them know how things are going. After booting everything up, he sees that indeed Carly is on so he sets up the video chat.

The video pops up and Freddie sees both Carly and Sam, "Hola muchachas," he says happily.

Carly smiles while Sam gives him a salute silently. "Hi Freddie! Good to see you made it to Los Angeles."

"Yeah, moving was hectic! I was so exhausted last night afterwards. So any luck with finding my replacement yet?"

Carly shrugs, "Not really. I mean, it's only been one day. But remember that Brad guy who was almost your intern?" Freddie nods. "He came up to us at school today saying to let us know if we needed help with iCarly."

"Well, that's cool! I had an editing class with him and he's really good. He might need a little help with the camera but that's really the easy part." Freddie smiles, glad that iCarly may not be out of business for long.

"So how was your first day?" Carly asks. "Meet any new people?"

"Did you get beat up already?" Sam asks, somewhat jokingly.

Freddie laughs sarcastically, "No, I didn't get beat up Sam. And yeah, I did meet some people. A lot of people actually," he says exhaustedly. "So many iCarly fans there."

Carly giggles, "Well, you ARE in California where the celebrities are."

Freddie laughs before continuing, "Besides for the throng of people, I DID meet some students and had lunch with them today."

The black-haired girl smiles, "Well great!"

"The thing is, the girl I'm 'supposed to marry'," he air quotes, "was one of the people I had lunch with."

Sam feigns excitement. "Wow, you already met her? How awesome."

Carly responds, "That is pretty convenient you've met her already. What's her name anyway?"

"Cat is her name. We haven't really talked all that much though. But from what I can tell, I'm pretty sure she's having the same anxieties about this marriage thing as I am."

Carly props her head up with her hand as if she's thinking of something. "Does she know you're the guy?"

Freddie shrugs, "I dunno. She didn't run away screaming when she saw me so probably not. And her friends didn't react to my appearance any differently than the other students."

Sam forces her way into the conversation. "So what's the plan? Are you gonna just come right out and say what's going on?"

"They're going to find out soon," Freddie admits. "But I'm just going to play it cool. Start talking to her; see how she feels… maybe we can figure out what to do about the whole ordeal."

The three friends talk more about Freddie's first day before promising to talk later in the week. Freddie shuts down the laptop and prepares himself for school the next day; not just for classes but for finally getting some time to talk to Cat.

* * *

**A/N: Cat's parents have never been seen in the show so I took creative liberties with imagining them. **


	10. Chapter 10- A Date?

**A/N: Hello again everyone! It's definitely been awhile since chapter 9 so thanks for bearing with me. With school in full swing I rarely have any time to update my story but this weekend I was able to put the finishing touches on chapter 10.**

**Some new favorites and followers to share: Thanks becky199756 for the favorite/follow; Thanks Raven Angel of Darkness, NeoNoble, and JohnOTastic for following! Also, I was at 1100+ views at my last chapter and even without updates I am up to almost 1800 views! That's insane in my opinion :D. **

**I had some favorable reviews from the last chapter so keep them coming! I really implore you guys to let me know how you like the pacing. Not having a lot of time to write makes it hard to manage that aspect. Thanks for all the views and praise... I very much appreciate it. Enjoy!**

* * *

The next day at school, Cat runs up to André's locker where all her friends have gathered before the first class. Cat had texted everyone the news so they all decided to see each other first thing in the morning to figure out the next step in their plan to stop the marriage.

"I still can't believe it's Freddie of all people!" Tori says to Cat.

"I know, right?!" Cat says bouncing up and down.

"Now we just have to talk to him and his parents and try to get this thing cancelled," Beck says bluntly.

Cat ponders, "Or we could not talk to them yet."

The friends all look confusedly at each other. "What are you talking about?" Robbie asks.

"Don't tell me you actually want to go through with this, Cat," Jade accuses.

The red-headed girl takes a step back, "I never said that! I just, want to get to know Freddie more." She twirls a strand of hair in her finger as she says it.

Robbie looks worried, "I don't know about that, Cat. If Freddie wants to go through with it, you'd be leading him on."

"Not to mention what your parents will think if they see you're being really friendly with him," André adds.

"But what if Freddie doesn't want the marriage either?" Cat blurts out. "Then he can help us!"

The friends exchange glances once again, contemplating Cat's idea for a moment. They silently acknowledge her point and Tori puts a hand on her little friend's shoulder. "You have a point, Cat. We'll work through this with you. Just be careful, ok?" she adds with a smile. Cat smiles back. "I'll invite him to lunch so he can hang out again," she says, pulling out her pear phone. Before she can text him though, Freddie walks up after entering the school.

"Hi everyone," Freddie says cordially. Everyone greets him back.

"Hey Freddie!" Tori says. "I was actually just about to text you to see if you wanted to hang out with all of us at lunch again."

The boy smiles at her and Cat, whom is standing right next to Tori. "Yeah, that sounds great! I was hoping to join you guys again."

"It's a date!" Cat blurts out quickly. Her friends all look incredulously at her and Freddie just chuckles and raises his eyebrows. Cat lets out a nervous squeak and walks away in the opposite direction of Freddie, everyone but Tori following close behind.

"So we'll see you then!" Tori adds awkwardly before joining her friends.

Freddie raises a hand in farewell and heads to his own class. _It's a date?, _he thinks to himself. _Maybe just a coincidence or maybe she knows_. The occurrence pervades his thoughts throughout his classes as he decides what things to talk about at lunch.

* * *

Before Freddie knows it, it's lunch time and he heads for the Asphalt Café with his bag lunch filled with food only his Mom would imagine packing. He sits down at the same table as before when Beck and André arrive. "Hey guys!" Freddie waves to them.

The two return the greeting and sit down on one side of the table. They talk amongst themselves for a couple minutes until everyone else arrives. Jade and Tori sit next to each other while Cat sits next to Robbie and directly across from Freddie.

André speaks up after some idle chit-chat. "So Freddie, I know you're still probably getting this, but can you explain why you're here?" The others murmur in agreement.

Freddie raises his eyebrows, setting his sandwich down in front of him. "Yeah, I can let you guys know. You're all the closest I've gotten to new friends here," he adds with a smile. He briefly thinks of how to tell them the story without bringing up the marriage, a fact he isn't ready to divulge yet. "So about a week or so ago, I got this letter in the mail from Hollywood Arts. They really liked my résumé and wanted me here. The weird thing was I never sent in a video or anything."

"So who did?" Beck asks.

"My mom," Freddie replies. "I guess she was tired of working in Seattle and thought this would be a better fit for both of us. We used to live here a long time ago; I suppose she missed it."

"And iCarly?" Tori adds, still wishing to know more on that subject.

"Just taking a break while they find a new technical producer. They weren't super psyched about me leaving so abruptly but we patched things up." Freddie takes a bite of his sandwich while the others smile at the news. Jade, on the other hand, forks some lettuce in her salad around absent-mindedly, not caring much about the web show. Freddie looks across the table at Cat, taking in her long red hair and brown eyes; she seems really shy, much more than she did the previous day. "So, since I've shared something about myself, what do you guys usually do here in L.A.? I have nothing going on this weekend so I figured I'd find something to do."

Robbie sits up a little, "Well, there's a lot of great restaurants downtown."

"And there's this place called The Gorilla Club," Beck adds. "Probably not the best first place to check out." Freddie's eyes widen at the vagueness of the statement.

Cat's eyes widen, "Karaoke-Dokey!"

Freddie faces the excited girl, a confused look on his face, "Karaoke-Dokey?"

"It's a karaoke club with a big stage and awesome food and really great singing!" Cat smiles as she thinks of an idea. "We should all go on Saturday!" The rest of them agree happily not having patronized the club in some time.

"Sounds like a good time," Freddie says with a smile. "I don't have a car yet though."

Tori waves her hand dismissively. "One of us can give you a ride." The bell rings, signaling the end of lunch. "Oh man, better get to class."

Freddie says bye to everyone as they get up to leave. He's happy to be included but his plan to get to know Cat a little more is made more difficult with everyone around. He packs his things, settling on the fact he doesn't need to rush into things.


	11. Chapter 11- First Real Talk

**A/N: Oh my goodness, a new chapter! Thanks to everyone for their patience... it's been over a month since chapter 10 was posted so I'm glad I was able to finish another before Thanksgiving. **

**First, I'm over 2800 views on this story! I think that's awesome. Second, a thank you to all the new followers/ favorites since chapter 10: Ballistica, classicicy, DoubblySquared, i8urcrayonz, MusicxLover14, protogenxl, AlexaSummer, and Profoundtiger098! Hopefully I didn't skip anyone :P. Third, in response to DoubblySquared's review (so there's no confusion), this is a Creddie story but not CarlyxFreddie like it's usually classified haha. I'm sure that's what you meant but just to make sure!**

**Despite me kind of rushing this to post it by the end of the weekend, I'm happy with how it turned out. It moves the story in the direction I want to go and also gives the readers something new. So like always, leave a review, follow, and favorite so I know people are still interested :D.**

* * *

Later that evening, Freddie sits on his bed working on some homework for an English class. He has already blown through most of his work and starts becoming sidetracked with thoughts about his day, mostly about the forthcoming weekend and going to Karoke-Dokey with his new friends. Freddie has always been too nervous to sing in front of crowds so he wondered if he'd try singing on Saturday. Freddie starts checking The Slap on his computer when a video chat invitation pops on his screen. He looks at the username, assuming it would be Carly, but finds a name he doesn't recognize.

"HappyCat?" he says quietly to himself. His heart rate quickens slightly as he accepts the invitation. The bubbly redhead appears on the screen and smiles.

"Hi, Freddie," Cat says sweetly.

Freddie smiles as well. "Hi, Cat. It's good to see you." Cat smiles and giggles at the comment. "I have to ask, how did you get my video chat username?" the boy asks. "Not that I'm complaining," he adds quickly with a smile.

"Oh, I got it from the iCarly webpage," Cat says brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "Oh yeah, of course," the boy replies. It was common for many iCarly fans to try video chatting with him but the majority of fans would always try for Carly and Sam. Even Gibby got more chat requests. Thinking about that made him a little jealous so he pushed the bad thoughts aside like usual. "So what's going on?"

"Nothing really… I'm just really excited to go to Karaoke-Dokey on Saturday!" she says spinning around in her chair. "You're going right?" she adds with a curious gaze.

"I was just thinking about that actually," the boy replies. "I'm not really much of a singer but I'm still planning on going."

Cat applauds gleefully. "Yay, it's so much fun! Maybe I can think of some way to get you on the stage," the girl says with a wink. Freddie smiles, just raising his eyebrows in a silent agreement. "So how do you like Hollywood Arts?"

"It's pretty great so far," Freddie replies. "I'm always blown away by the talent I see every day. Maybe Saturday I can finally see your talents," he adds coolly. Freddie wonders if the statement came off weird but seeing Cat's face turn red and smile allays his fear.

"Yeah, I'll definitely be singing on Saturday, don't you worry," Cat replies confidently.

Freddie nods, "I can't wait to see it. So tell me about yourself. I haven't really had a chance to talk with you all one-on-one."

Cat pushes her back behind her ears. "Well, I sing and dance and act and put on plays a lot. There was this one play that Jade wrote when I was stuck at the bottom of a well… and a short film when I had blonde hair."

Freddie's eyes widen, "Blonde hair, huh? I'm sure that was something to see. I like your red hair though." Cat blushes yet again at the compliment. "Any siblings?"

"I have a brother… but he doesn't live with us." Cat's face turns sad and she looks away from the camera.

"I don't want to pry too much, but why doesn't he live with you?" Freddie questions.

Cat takes a deep breath, "He stays at what my parents call a 'rehabilitation clinic' in San Jose. He's not really all there," she says pointing to her head.

Freddie frowns, "I'm sorry, Cat," he says sincerely. "It must be pretty hard."

The bubbly girl regains her upbeat personality and smiles slightly. "It's ok, but thanks. He does alright but it's weird when I only get to see him every other week or so." Freddie nods in understanding. "What about you? Any brothers or sisters?"

"None at all. My dad died when I was still young and they had both agreed having two children would be too much for my mom to raise alone," Freddie says matter-of-factly. "But it's okay being an only child… my mom is able to support the both of us with just one job so it's easier."

"What does your mom do anyway?" Cat queries.

"She's a registered nurse. She works morning to mid-afternoons mostly."

"That sounds fun, getting to help sick people!" Cat replies. Freddie just nods in agreement. "So your mom's work was the ONLY reason you came, right?" the redhead prods, trying to see if he'll admit the real reason he's there.

Freddie thinks about how he is going to respond. _Well, not the only reason… she probably already knows but wants to hear me say it._ "Yeah, she found a nice job with good benefits in L.A. so it was an easy choice. Plus she didn't like having me at Ridgeway I guess."

Cat nods in understanding. "Well, Hollywood Arts is probably a lot different than your other school."

Freddie laughs quietly, "Yeah, definitely." He takes a long pause before speaking again. "And… there is another reason…"

Cat's eyes widen at the tone of Freddie's voice. But before Freddie can speak again, he hears the front door of his apartment slam and then his mom's voice cuts in. "Freddie, are you home? We need to start making dinner!"

The boy closes his eyes in frustration. He had a chance to just let Cat know but he'd have to wait again. "Sorry Cat, my mom just got home and I need to go help with dinner." This elicits a frown from the red-haired girl on the other side of the screen. "But I'll see you tomorrow?" Freddie adds. Cat agrees and gives a wave before Freddie signs off and slams his laptop shut in frustration. "Yeah, I'm coming!" he shouts to his mother. As he plugs in his laptop to charge and puts his books in his backpack, he curses at his bad luck. _At least I finally got to talk to her… I'm definitely going to Karaoke on Saturday now. _He smiles as he leaves his room and walks into the kitchen. "Hey mom. What are we making?" Freddie asks casually.

His mom smiles, "Just some spaghetti and vegetables." She places a short menu in front of the boy, who looks at it confusedly.

"What is this, mom? This is like, a three-course meal."

"That, Freddie, is the menu for your first date with little Catrina… you'll be preparing it for her."


End file.
